Display-rack.



B. STERN.

DISPLAY RACK.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 16, I916.

1 ,230,051 Patented June 12, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

ATTORNEYS m: NORRIS Psrsns co" mom-Luna. WASHING mu. 0 c.

B. STERN.

DISPLAY RACK.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJG', 191s.

Patented June 12, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z HIHII WITNESSES ATTORNEYS OFFICE.

BEBNHABD STERN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

DISPLAY-RACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J nne 12, 191 17.

Application filed August 16, 1916. Serial No. 115,203;

0 all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, BERNHARD STERN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Display-Rack, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to display racks particularly adaptable for displaying articles requiring a large area.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive structure .on which a large number of similar articles of different quality or pattern can be rapidly exhibited and the arrangement of which articles on the rack is such as to give substan tially the appearance of the article in'nse.

lVith the above and other objects in view, the nature of which will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as herein fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of the application, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a display rack embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross section on line 3-3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a similar section on line 44, Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section on line 55, Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view on the meeting ends of the tracks; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective viewof the means for linking the frames.

Referring to the drawings, 88 are the standards, which are preferably of tubular form, provided with a suitable base 9 to increase their stability. An overhead beam 10 connects the standards and thereby constitutes the support of the display rack. Elongated tracks 11 are each suspended on a pivot 12 from the beam so that the ends of adjacent tracks will just clear when the tracks are brought into alinement with each other. The adjacent tracks are maintained in alinement by means of a latch arrangement 13 provided at the coiiperating ends of the tracks. The latch arrangement is so located that any of the ends of the adjacent tracks may be locked to maintain the tracks in alinement. Each standard 8 has a swinging bolt 13 which can be dropped into the adjacent end of the track when said track is in the plane with the beam. The engagement of the bolt with the track helps the latch arrangement to maintain the tracks in alinement.

The tracks 11 are of channeled cross section open at the bottom through the entire length (as shown at 14:). Frames 15 are suspended from the tracks by a pivot 16, which pivot forms part of .a T--shapcd member 17 on the shoulders of which rollers 18 are provided and which rollers rest on the bottom of the track. The T-shapedmemhere with the rollers constitute the carriage from which the frame 15 is suspended and by means of which carriage the frame may be moved from one track to the other, in view of'the fact that the opening 1% is continuousin the track.

Each of the frames 15 carries a removable anel 19 which is retained in the frame by any suit-able device 20, such, for example, as eccentric disks mounted in the frame. These panels constitute the background on which themerchandise is to be exhibited and to which the merchandise may be secured directly if so desired. But preferably each frame has adjacent the top thereof a transverse bar 21 which is retained yieldingly against the frame by a spring 22 formed at the end of the bar and whereat the bar is secured to the frame. It will be noted that each face of the frame has a bar 21. From this bar the goods to be exhibited are suspended, as shown in Fig. 1. The provision of this bar, with the background, particularly adaptsmy device to the display of curtains, or material which is transparent, the display effectof which depends considerably on the background with which they are to be used. It is self-evident that the rack may be used also with materials which do not depend on the background, for example, carpets, wall paper, and goods of similar character.

The adjacent frames are linked by a flexible member 23 which is detachable from the frames so that any desired number of frames may be added or subtracted, as the case may be, from the rack. The number of frames that may face a customer depends on the width of the frames and the number and length of tracks used. As shown in.

vertical axis, .merchandise carriers Fig. 1, three frames simultaneously face a customer, consequently three various designs of curtains can be exhibited to the customer. The other frames which formpart of the chain are disposed eclgewise and will not disclose the merchandise. The frames which have been inspected are placed edgewise by turning the frames on their pivots. This displacement draws the frames from the right to the left in the arrangement as shown in Fig. 1; and as a frame is placed edgewise, another frame is drawn to present a face thereof to the customer.

When all of the frames have been drawn to the left, only one side of the faces of the frames has been exhibited. To'inspectthe other side of the faces, the bolt 13 of the track on which all of the frames are collected is disengaged therefrom. The latch 13 is also made to disconnect the said track from the adjacent track, and said track is revolved through 180 .and locked again when it is in alinement with the adjacent track. By moving the frames in the opposite direction from said track into the adjacent track the other faces of the frames will be exhibited. Thus, it will be seen that by means of my display rack all the merchandise appearing on either side of a frame can be exhibited withoutany discomfort to the purchaser, and to the best advantage.

While I have described the principle of operation, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made as are within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a display rack, a plurality of overhead tracks each mounted to revolve on a suspended from the tracks to revolve on a vertical axis and movable in said tracks, means for maintaining said tracks in alinement and preventing their rotation, whereby the merchandise carriers may be moved from one track into the other, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a display rack, a plurality of overhead tracks each revoluble on a vertical axis, frames suspended from said tracks to revolve on. a vertical axis, and locking means for preventing the rotation of the tracks and for maintaining the adjacent tracks in alinement whereby the frames may be moved from one track into the adjacent one.

3. In a display rack, overhead tracks each mounted to revolve on a vertical axis, a plurality of frames suspended from the track each revoluble on a substantially vertical axis, flexible means connecting the frames and forming a chain thereof, a panel associated with each frame, a yielding member adjacent the upper end of the frame on each face thereof, and locking means for the adjacent tracks to maintain them in alinement and prevent their turning, whereby the frames may be moved from one track into the other, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a display rack, a pair of standards, a beam connecting the standards at the upper ends thereof, a plurality of brackets suspended from the beam, each bracket to revolve on a substantially vertical axis, T- shaped members, rollers associated with said T-shaped members and engaging the brackets, frames suspended from the T- shaped members to revolve thereon, a removable panel associated with each frame, and a yielding bar associated with each face of the panel adjacent the upper end of the frame, flexible means connecting said frames and forming a chain thereof, means for locking the ends of the tracks adjacent the standards, and means for locking the adjacent ends of tracks.

BERNHARD STERN.

Witnesses:

CHARLES L. GRAD, EMANUEL STRASBURGER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). 0. 

